Frequently Asked Questions

Registering a New Arts Group

What is a society?
A society is defined in the Societies Act as a club, company, partnership or association of 10 or more persons, whatever its nature or object, and not already registered under any other law. A society requires a constitution which governs its activities.

What is a company?
A company is a business entity registered under the Companies Act, Chapter 50. It has a legal personality, i.e. it it has rights to own properties, can sue or be sued. It usually has the words “Pte Ltd” or “Ltd” as part of its name. For more information on the various types of companies, please refer to the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) or EnterpriseOne, a multi-agency initiative managed by SPRING Singapore to help local companies.

What is a non-profit public company limited by guarantee?
It is a type of company that carries out non-profit making activities. Its members/owners individually guarantee to contribute to the assets of the company in the event of it being wound up. However the amount is usually nominal and could be as little as S$1 each. This is also one of the types of organisations that may be registered as an arts-related charity and enjoy certain tax benefits.

“Non-profit making” does not denote loss-making activities for the company; what it means is that profits made have to be re-invested in the company’s activities, instead of going to the members of the company.

How do I set up a society or company?
Societies are registered under the Registry of Societies (which is under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs) while companies are registered under the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA). Please refer to these websites for detailed information on eligibility, application procedures, etc.

A society may be registered online via the website. Information such as name of society, details of members and office bearers and the constitution of the society are required.
To register a public company limited by guarantee, the company name must first be approved online via BizFile, a service that can be accessed from the ACRA or EnterpriseOne websites. Following this, the company can then be incorporated with ACRA, also via BizFile.
Prospective companies can either engage professional advisors to help (e.g. law firms, corporate secretarial firms or service bureaus) or be self-incorporated by the directors of the company (if proposed directors, secretary and subscribers are all Singapore NRIC holders).

How do I register my society or company as an arts-related charity?

Bona fide arts societies, non-profit public companies limited by guarantee and arts training institutions incorporated in Singapore may register as arts-related charities. Their governing instruments (such as the constitution of a society or Memorandum and Articles of Association for companies) must reflect the exclusive charitable purposes of the organisation, i.e. under the category of “the advancement of arts, heritage or science”.

Charities are eligible for tax benefits such as tax exemption on its income. Details on taxation of charities may be found on the IRAS website. In particular, arts-related charities may apply for tax exemption benefits for their donors through setting up a Special Account scheme with the NAC. This helps in the organisations’ fundraising efforts and encourages public support of the arts.

The office of the Commissioner of Charities is under the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS). There are 6 Sector Administrators (SA) assisting the Commissioner of Charities in overseeing the charities. A charity will have to apply for registration under its own SA. For arts related charities, the SA is the Ministry of Communication Information and the Arts (MICA). More information as well as the application form for registration can be found on the MCYS website. The person in charge at MICA is Mdm Tang Lai Wan (tang_lai_wan@mica.gov.sg).

Licences, Permits, Copyrights and Royalties

What is an arts entertainment licence?

An arts entertainment licence is issued to those who wish to hold an arts event at a place accessible to the public.

When do I need to apply for an arts entertainment licence?

Under the Public Entertainments and Meetings Act, you need to apply for a licence for any form of arts entertainment which includes plays, music, dance, exhibitions, variety shows and pop/rock concerts at a place accessible to the public.

The arts entertainment licence may be applied online via the Media Development Authority (MDA) website, under the Resources/Forms section.

What is the difference between the public entertainment (PE) licence and the arts entertainment (AE) licence?

The PE licence comes under the purview of the Public Entertainment Licensing Unit (PELU) of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and is issued to nightspots such as pubs and lounges, amusement centres, computer games centres, amusement parks, billiard saloons, or events such as talks and seminars.

The AE licence is issued to ad hoc events such as plays, exhibitions, dance and musical performances, pop/rock concerts and karaoke singing events.

For more information and for more licensing-related FAQs, please refer to the SPF website as well as the Media Development Authority (MDA) website.

Do I need another licence for a post-performance forum?

Yes, an ad hoc public entertainment licence from PELU is required for post-performance forums. This can be applied online via the Police Licensing Computerised System (PLUS) on the Singapore Police Force (SPF) website.

For more information and for more licensing-related FAQs, please refer to the SPF website as well as the Media Development Authority (MDA) website.

Who do I go to for copyrights and royalty payments?

For information on copyrights and royalties, please refer to the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) and the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS).

Visa Matters for Overseas Performances

Where do I go to apply for visas to tour my project?

For Singaporean artists travelling overseas to countries where an entry/performance visa is required, please apply for a visa at the foreign consulates. A list of foreign missions accredited to Singapore can be found on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.